A world of pain

Smallholders with horses or ponies should be aware of the dangers of laminitis at all times of the year, but particularly in spring and summer. Emily Bevan looks into the painful condition that affects one in 10 equines in the UK each year

- Emily Bevan

The word laminitis can strike fear into even the most resolute of horse owners, and with the Royal Veterinary College’s website stating that 7% of equine deaths are linked to the disease, which affects one in 10 horses and ponies each year according to the British Horse Society, it is hardly surprising.

Laminitis is one of the most common causes of lameness in horses and it varies in severity from mild tenderness in the foot to the rotation and sinking of the pedal bone (the largest bone in the hoof) which can prove fatal.

There are several different types of laminitis. Inflammatory and overload are two, but the most prevalent is metabolic or endocrine-induced laminitis. Horses with dietary disorders, such as equine cushings disease or equine metabolic syndrome are predisposed to this type of laminitis, which also affects horses consuming excessive amounts of grass.

The high levels of sugar found in grass can prove difficult for horses and ponies to process, affecting the blood supply to the soft tissues in the hoof — known as the laminae — and leading to laminitis. It isn’t known why laminitis affects certain horses and ponies and not others.

“The layers of laminae become inflamed and separate which leads to instability and a weak connection between the pedal bone and the hoof capsule,” says vet Maris Terpstra from Durham Equine Practice. “The laminae is unable to swell, so the pressure increases, which can cause immense pain to the animal. Ultimately, the bone can start to move and rotate or sink.”